Chicago Public Library – The Popular Library at Water Works

The pie restaurant and tourism brochures are gone from the building but the Library is still there and still great.

For me, I am grateful for the location of this library that I can pick up and return. For that easy transactions of borrowing this is great. However, there is not much additional service other than that… No story time for kids, play area, which is what I am looking for. However, they have free WIFI and area inside you can read, oh also they have one computer you can use as well.

I would like to know why this is called «The Popular Library at Water Works». This «library» is only good for picking up or dropping off material. This annex has very few books to choose from.
I would love to have a job here. Where else can a person be on personal phone (with cell phone with the ear piece) and motion to me it’s going to be couple of seconds. Also, where else can you apply your makeup and make a guest wait? Don’t get me started about the attitudes.
Again, great location to pick up or drop off material and that’s it.

I was searching for a library near my job, and the address of this one popped up. I couldn’t guess how I had missed a library that was so close, but when I went there and walked right past it the first time, it became immediately obvious. Rather than the large stand-​alone library I was expecting, this one looks like a pop up – it’s a little roped-​off enclave inside the Water Works on Michigan Avenue, sharing space with a café and a tourist information center. There are only a few bookshelves here, but it’s still a full-​service library. If you’re looking for something specific, you can have it put on hold for you here. And – bonus – it’s open at 9:00 am on the same days that other branches don’t open until noon, and they even have Sunday hours! So now I have recourse when I run out of reading material late on a Saturday!

This is a great library location, but it takes a little planning for it to be very useful. I have all of my library requests delivered to this location so I can bundle picking them up with my errands downtown.
I don’t know what I am doing wrong, but I don’t find the service very friendly at all as other reviewers do. The librarian is usually doing personal things or listening to headphones and they seem put out when they have to stop so I can return books or check anything out.
Overall this library location gets me the books I need for free so I don’t really mind how friendly the service is.

I’m on a quest to visit every branch of the Chicago Public Library system.
This is a teeny, tiny library, but it’s great! It’s right in the Water Works building (where the Chicago visitor center is), and makes for a wonderful place to pick up books on hold. There are only about six bookshelves in total in this little library, and about half are for materials on hold. I imagine this is awesome for people who work in the area and want to be able to request materials online and then come in and check them out! Like every other library branch, they do have museum passes. This is really nice for people who work in the area as well (or for people who want to check out the Museum of Contemporary Art — just down the street — but don’t want to pay admission… just look for the pass here!).
Though this isn’t a branch I would choose to browse around in, it’s a great location to simply pick up a transfered title, look for a museum pass or get a brand new library card!

As much as I miss Flat Sammies, I’m very glad this space is being put to good use. The staff here was friendly and helped me get my card. They were also very tolerant when I called daily for a week looking for the free passes to the Shedd Aquarium (which I did eventually get – jenga!).

As an ex-​librarian, I have long lamented the lack of a public library branch near north. Belatedly I discovered this cute little mini-​branch, where I can order books online and pick them up locally. They even have a browsing shelf for serendipitous finds.
The best news is that it’s located in the old Water Tower Pumping Station next to a coffee shop, so you can drop into a chair and start reading.

Although small they share space with Hot Tix they have friendly staff. Mr Eugene Burke the manager is very kind and will go out of there way to help you.